Clothes dryer motor assemblies typically comprise a motor mount having a motor mounted thereto. The motor mount may rest directly on a floor of the dryer cabinet or may rest atop a raised floor portion. In other prior assemblies, the motor is suspended from above by a raised platform.
Clothes dryer motors produce a substantial amount of vibration which may be transmitted to the cabinet floor. This vibration produces noise as the cabinet vibrates. In some cases, the motor vibration may cause the dryer cabinet, or more specifically, the cabinet floor, to resonate. Resonance can generate loud unwanted noise. Vibration and noise are very displeasing to a user of the clothes dryer.
In the past, clothes dryer apparatus have been developed to overcome the problem of motor vibration, resonance, and noise. Some assemblies include a raised floor portion in order to strengthen the structure upon which the motor assembly rests. However, the raised floor portion takes up space inside the dryer cabinet.
Other designs include means of insulating the motor from the cabinet via the placement of rubber insulators between the motor mount and the cabinet. The rubber insulators cushion the motor, thus reducing transmittance of motor vibration. However, these methods may not overcome the problem of resonance. Further, the addition of rubber insulators to the motor assembly takes up space inside the dryer cabinet and requires the use of additional materials to be used for insulation.
Yet another type of apparatus used to reduce vibration and noise created by the motor includes the application of an insulating ring for insulating the motor shaft bearing from the motor mount. Apparatus such as these may not solve the problem of resonance and once again include additional insulating materials, which can increase cost and assembly time. Further, the placement of an insulating ring between the motor shaft bearing and the motor mount requires complicated assembly and thus increases costs associated with time and labour.
As a result of these deficiencies in past practices, it is clear that there is a need for an apparatus that effectively supports the motor assembly without taking up additional space in the cabinet, while reducing noises and vibration.